The recent success of AI in virtually unwrapping a 2,000-year-old scroll from Herculaneum has highlighted the incredible potential of technology in historical research. This scroll, charred beyond recognition by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, has long been considered too fragile to examine. However, a combination of X-ray imaging and AI has now allowed researchers to see inside the ancient document for the first time in millennia.

As a student in the conservation of easel paintings, I find it fascinating to see how AI is being used in ways that genuinely benefit historical research, rather than just serving as a source of online speculation and fearmongering. Much of the AI discourse is dominated by concerns about automation, job displacement, and the ethical dilemmas of deep learning. While these concerns are valid, stories like this remind us that AI can also be a powerful tool for preservation, rather than destruction.

In the world of art conservation, a groundbreaking development has emerged that promises to transform the way we approach the restoration of historic paintings. A team of researchers, in 2023, from King's College London and the University of Edinburgh has developed a novel technology that harnesses the power of fluorescence to remove the guesswork from painting conservation. This innovative approach, utilizing macroscopic fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM), offers unprecedented accuracy in identifying and removing old varnish from paintings, potentially revolutionizing the field of art restoration.